Biomaterial Database

[Carboxyhemoglobin levels and risk factors of carbon monoxide poisoning in children;]. 1997

P Vázquez, and J López-Herce, and P Galarón, and C Merello Godino

Sección de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid.

BACKGROUND To determine carboxyhemoglobin levels and to investigate carbon monoxide poisoning risk in children. METHODS We determine carboxyhemoglobin blood levels by cooximetry in 65 children, between 15 days and 15 years attended in a pediatric emergency section. We analyze carbon monoxide risk factors (type of heating and smokers in the family). RESULTS Mean carboxyhemoglobin levels in 59 children without acute intoxication was 0.5 +/- 0.87% (range 0-3.8%). There are no significant differences with respect to age and sex. Children with wood or coal heating (0.88 +/- 1.34%) and gas heating (0.58 +/- 0.97%) have carboxyhemoglobin levels higher than children with electric heating (0.28 +/- 0.4%) but differences were no statistically significant. Four patients have carboxyhemoglobin levels > 2%, two with coal or wood hating and two with gas heating. Children with smokers in the family have carboxyhemoglobin levels higher than the rest of children (0.65 +/- 1.05% versus 0.34 +/- 0.45%) without statistical significance. The four children with carboxyhemoglobin levels > 2% live with smokers. Six children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning with carboxyhemoglobin levels between 20.6 and 36.6%. CONCLUSIONS Mean carboxyhemoglobin levels in children are low. There are carbon monoxide poisoning risk factors (wood, coal or gas heating at home, and smokers in the family) in a high percentage of the children, although they did not show statistical significance.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D002249	Carbon Monoxide Poisoning	Toxic asphyxiation due to the displacement of oxygen from oxyhemoglobin by carbon monoxide.	Illuminating Gas Poisoning,Poisoning, Carbon Monoxide,Poisoning, Illuminating Gas,Carbon Monoxide Poisonings,Gas Poisoning, Illuminating,Gas Poisonings, Illuminating,Illuminating Gas Poisonings,Monoxide Poisoning, Carbon,Monoxide Poisonings, Carbon,Poisonings, Carbon Monoxide,Poisonings, Illuminating Gas
D002263	Carboxyhemoglobin		Carbomonoxyhemoglobin,Carbonmonoxyhemoglobin,Carbonylhemoglobin,Carboxyhemoglobin A,Carboxyhemoglobin C
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D005191	Family Characteristics	Size and composition of the family.	Family Size,Couples,Family Demography,Family Life Surveys,Family Size, Average,Family Size, Completed,Family Size, Desired,Family Size, Expected,Family Size, Ideal,Family and Household,Generations,Head of Household,Households,One-Person Household,Average Family Size,Average Family Sizes,Completed Family Size,Completed Family Sizes,Demography, Family,Desired Family Size,Desired Family Sizes,Expected Family Size,Expected Family Sizes,Family Characteristic,Family Demographies,Family Life Survey,Family Sizes,Family Sizes, Ideal,Household,Household Head,Household Heads,Household and Family,Household, One-Person,Ideal Family Size,Ideal Family Sizes,One Person Household,One-Person Households,Survey, Family Life
D005260	Female		Females
D006361	Heating	The application of heat to raise the temperature of the environment, ambient or local, or the systems for accomplishing this effect. It is distinguished from HEAT, the physical property and principle of physics.